Congo Ebola outbreak ‘far from contained,’ U.S. aid chief says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is far from contained, U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Mark Green said on Tuesday.

“In the last week we have seen a number of signs that the outbreak is far from contained. There’s a long way to go,” the top U.S. aid official told a U.S. congressional hearing.

The Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 600 people.

But as the country grapples with the aftermath of Dec. 30 elections marred by fraud allegations, aid workers have faced mistrust in some areas as they seek to contain the outbreak, the most severe in Congo’s history.

Green said there is enough money to fight the outbreak, and that the United States is pushing for more vaccinations and the production of more vaccines. He said he is in close contact with international health officials.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle in Washington; Editing by James Dalgleish)